I wish I could have participated in Delhi gangrape protests: Chief Justice Altamas Kabir

New Delhi: Chief Justice of India Altamas Kabir on Monday strongly supported the upsurge of protests in the aftermath of the barbaric gangrape of a 23-year-old paramedic student in Delhi on December 16, describing it as "justified and necessary". The CJI also said he wished he could have taken part in the protests that shook up the nation and exposed the flimsy safety measures for women in the country.

"One of my nephews was also injured during the protest at India Gate. I salute everyone who protested there. I wish I could have been there," Justice Kabir, who was sworn in as the 39th CJI in September 2012, said.

While addressing the gathering which comprised of sitting Delhi High Court judge Justice Gita Mittal as well as several legal luminaries and academicians among others, Justice Kabir also said that what happened on December 16 was not just a crime against an individual, but against women and society in general.

Referring to the "shameful" incident, during which the Delhi braveheart was brutally gangraped in a moving bus and later thrown out of it along with her male friend, Justice Kabir said it has resulted in a tremendous re-thinking of "what is going on" in the society.

After battling with massive internal injuries for 13 days that she sustained during the trauma, the woman died at Singapore's Mount Elizabeth Hospital on December 29. A fast-track court on Monday invoked in-camera proceedings in the trial of five of the accused, while order will be given on the plea for a bone marrow test on the sixth accused, who is a minor, on January 24.